Ueda MAAG SH250 Controls & Drives Upgrade
- Weerachai Kemmarat
- Aug 18
- 2 min read
Ueda Heavy Gear Works Ltd. in Japan
The Customer
Ueda Heavy Gear Works Ltd is one of Japan’s flagships of heavy industry companies. Established in 1893, Ueda Heavy Gear Works has become the leading gear manufacturer in Japan, supplying large gears, pinions and other power transmission components to all major steel and machinery manufacturers in Japan. Located in Osaka, specializing in manufacturing large cylindrical girth gears, pinions and bevel gears, Ueda Heavy Gear Works has a large number of MAAG gear shaping machines.
The Challenge
As of April 2024, Siemens officially ended the product lifecycle for some of the SINUMERIK 840D Powerline CNC systems and the SIMODRIVE 611D drive components that included power modules and control cards. With the discontinuation of manufacturing and the end of guaranteed factory tested spare parts availability, users of these systems are advised to upgrade to current platforms to ensure long-term maintainability and operational reliability.
The Solution
To align the MAAG SH600/735 with current technological standards while minimizing disruption, a strategic retrofit was proposed. The upgrade involved replacing the CNC NCU and operator panel components with the latest generation:
SINUMERIK ONE CNC
New Operator Panel, Machine Control Panel & Hand-Held Unit
On-site installation, commissioning & training plus updated documentation
The Outcome & Benefits
By focusing the upgrade on control and interface components only, the retrofit reduces downtime, lowers investment cost, and will ensure compatibility with the MAAG 250/300E scheduled for its upgrade in the near future, thereby streamlining future maintenance, spare parts management, and machine operation.
Future-Proofing: The SH600/735 hardware & software will be harmonised with the SH250/300E, once upgraded, simplifying lifecycle service and support.
Operational Continuity: No need to replace motors, S120 drives, or measuring systems.
Cost-Efficiency: Maximizes use of existing assets while leveraging modern CNC capabilities.
Ease of Maintenance: Ensures long-term availability of spare parts and Siemens support.
This case exemplifies a targeted modernization approach, preserving core mechanical assets while enabling a digital-ready control architecture through SINUMERIK ONE.
Client Feedback
The CNC retrofit of the MAAG gear cutting machines can be realized by knowing the mechanism and features of the MAAG gear cutting machines and putting the latest Siemens technology on it.
CNC Design Pty Ltd is the only company in the world that can do this. MAAG gear cutting machines are still widely used in the production of large gears.
With the help of CNC Design Pty Ltd, I hope we will continue to use MAAG gear cutting machines with great care.
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